1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to implements used in the practice of oral hygiene and more particularly to an apparatus which facilitates the practice of oral hygiene by, or in behalf of, medically compromised persons or others who are unable to do a proper job by themselves.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The practice of oral hygiene in hospitals, nursing homes, day care centers and the like, has always been a rather vague and ill defined procedure. Some people in such institutions are, of course, able to care for themselves by using conventional tooth brushes and commercially available oral hygiene products such as toothpaste, mouth washes, and the like. However, others both in and out of such institutions are largely or totally dependent on others. For example, people suffering from arthritis, stroke victims, and other medically compromised people, may find it difficult to hold and manipulate a tooth brush while other more severely ill people such as senile or comatose patients simply cannont maintain their own oral hygiene programs.
Those people who find it difficult to hold and manipulate a conventional tooth brush are very often ineffective when it comes to accomplishing adequate oral hygiene. Similarly, those attempting to help the people who are unable to help themselves, such as the staff personnel of a hospital or nursing home, or the family of such a person, are not trained in the techniques needed for administering proper oral hygiene to others. And, it is very awkward, messy, and otherwise difficult for untrained medical or lay people to help others with the needed oral hygiene. As a result, very often even in medical institutions, the practice of oral hygiene is inadequate and in some cases non-existant.
To the best of my knowledge, no device, apparatus or method has been devised to aid those people who find it difficult to help themselves in accomplishing proper oral hygiene and to faciliate the task of those people who are attempting to help those who are unable to help themselves.